1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a replenishment device and bottle for replenishing powder within said bottle to a device which requires said powder.
The present invention further relates to a toner replenishment device for resupplying toner to a developing device in an image forming apparatus such as a copier, printer and the like, and a toner bottle for use in said device.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
In image forming apparatuses such as copiers, printers and the like, the user must perform the job of resupplying toner to a toner replenishment device because toner is consumed during image formation. Since toner is typically comprised of particles several microns in size, disadvantages arise inasmuch as airborne toner dispersion causes soiling of the surrounding area during the operation of moving toner from a toner container to the toner replenishment device. Conventionally, a toner bottle containing toner is installed in the toner replenishment device, and the toner replenishment device allows replacement of the toner bottle.
The disadvantage of soiling the surrounding area also arises during toner bottle replacement when the toner bottle is turned over so as to have the mouth of the toner bottle on the bottom when inserting an arm into the toner bottle to scrape the toner accommodated therein in order to move the toner accommodated within the toner bottle to the toner replenishment device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,296,900 discloses art wherein a spiral channel is provided along the interior surface of a toner bottle so as to utilize the transport force of the toner bottle itself to supply toner from an opening at one end of a toner bottle by rotating the toner bottle.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent No. 6-95248 discloses art wherein an opening is provided on the endface of a bottle cylinder and the toner bottle having a spiral guide is engaged to a coupling and said coupling is rotated by a motor to replenish toner.
In the conventional toner replenishment device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,296,900, there is a possibility of damaging the drive system due to a rotational load generated from the toner bottle to the drive unit when a user rotates the toner bottle because the drive unit and toner bottle are connected via a linkage unit. Furthermore, damage may result when the toner bottle is improperly rotated before it is completely seated so as to force it into position.
The addition of a damage prevention mechanism within the drive system to eliminate the aforesaid problems is inconvenient from the perspective of the construction of the image forming apparatus inasmuch as such an addition will enlarge the apparatus in the axial direction of the toner bottle.
An object of the present invention is to eliminate the previously described disadvantages by providing a toner replenishment device which does not cause damage to the drive system even when a user mistakenly rotates a completely installed toner bottle, and without enlarging the toner replenishment device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a toner replenishment device having excellent bottle rotation response after linkage when a toner bottle is connected to drive system linkage by an installation operation even when the toner bottle is installed such that the connection of the toner bottle and the drive system is incomplete when said toner bottle is installed in said device.
In the conventional toner replenishment device disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 6-95248, a disadvantage arises inasmuch as the rotational drive of the toner bottle is transmitted through a coupling and the toner bottle is not directly driven in rotation. Therefore, when the rotational torque of the toner bottle increases, the toner bottle slips from the coupling and cannot be adequately driven.
An object of the present invention is to provide a toner replenishment device capable of reliably transmitting a drive force to the toner bottle by rotating a coupling to a fixed position even when a toner bottle is not installed.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a toner replenishment device capable of installing a toner bottle on a coupling without error.